THE LAMB'S WIFE by Thos. F. Barry

Publishing Committee · Saratoga Springs, N. Y. · Mar 23, 1852

THE LAMB'S WIFE.

By Thos. F. Barry

Pilate enquired, "what is truth?" Jesus said, "Father sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth." We would attempt, therefore in this article, to show from his word what the Bride, the Lamb's wife is. It has been taught and hitherto universally believed that it is the church, or all who believe in Jesus. But to the law and testimony. Rev. xxi, 9—11. One of the seven angels said to John, come hither and I will show thee the Bride, or Lamb's wife. Now what did he present to John's vision? "And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the Holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God." Thus we are taught by the angel, that she is a city most distinctly and gloriously described.

2d Witness, Paul the Apostle—Jerusalem that now is (or exists) is in bondage with her children. How? I answer, she is, and will be trodden down of the Gentiles until the seven times of the Gentiles run out, then the Lord will appear in his glory and build up Zion. "But Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all;" for it is written, rejoice thou barren, that bearest not: Gal. iv, 22—28. Here also Jerusalem is styled a mother, and Christ's disciples her offspring.

3d Witness, The prophets who have written and whom Paul quotes, Isa. liv. He begins by saying, "sing O! barren, thou that didst not bear, break forth into singing, and cry aloud. Enlarge the place of thy tent; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the [now] desolate cities to be inhabited." He then describes her and says, "Thy Maker is thy husband. The God of the whole earth shall he be called." Verse 11. "I will lay thy stones of fair colors, and thy foundation with sapphires, and I will make thy windows of agates and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children." Let us here pause and ask, Is this a figurative picture of the church, or is it a literal city, which is to have a husband, around which the wicked are to be gathered, but not by me saith the Lord? See Isa. liv, 15. Rev. xx, 9. Let the 17th verse decide; it reads, "This is the heritage or inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me saith the Lord."

Thus Isaiah, Paul, and the Angel, three good witnesses, by the mouth of which every word should be established, unite and testify that the "Bride of Christ" is the New Jerusalem and NOT THE CHURCH, and that we must attain to the divine righteousness in order to inherit it. As Abraham believed God and his faith was accounted unto him for righteousness, let us do likewise, that when Abraham is blessed with an inheritance in the city for which he looked, we may be blessed with him, see our Lord in his glory, and reign forever and ever.

Again according to the Bible, Zion has not yet borne her children; she is desolate or barren; but she will soon bring forth a nation at once, in a moment in the twinkling of an eye; then Zion, our mother, will bring forth all her children. Isa. lxvi, 8—14. How this will be effected, is explained by Paul. "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible." Then the living shall be changed; for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with the voice of the archangel and trump of God, the dead in Christ shall be raised—then we which are alive shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air, and from thenceforth they will ever be with the Lord. "The bridegroom" adds, "comfort one another with these words." If the disciple is cheered by these words now, how much more glorious his consolation, and how perfectly satisfied will he be when he awakes "in his likeness," or is "born from the dead," and dwells at Zion, in Jerusalem. See Isa. xxx, 19, lxvi; xii, 4. "Ye shall be borne upon her sides and dandled upon her knees, as one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem."

1st Objection. But some will say, It is presumption and folly to believe, "that Christ will have a literal city as described in Rev. xxi, 1—27, and in the prophets, for his bride or wife. Reader, please turn to Isa. lxii, 1—7. and read, "For Zion's sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest. Thou shalt be called by a new name which the Lord shall name." Verse 4. "Thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah"—that is, my delight is in her, and thy land shall be called Beulah,—i. e. married, for the Lord delighteth in thee and thy land shall be married.

2d Objection. Rev. xix, 7. "And his wife hath made herself ready." It is asked, how can a city make herself ready? I answer, if the objector will read the previous verses he will see that it is the whole church who says this. They sing, "the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride or wife hath made herself" not we have made ourselves ready. Moreover, often persons and cities are said to do things when the Lord is the author of it, see Jer. i, 10. Paul in speaking of Abraham and Christ says, God hath prepared for them a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God. Heb. xi, 10. Peter said it was reserved in heaven, and READY to be revealed, in the last time. Christ declared, in his Father's house were many mansions.

When this glorious city shall from thence appear, and the saints are raised and robed in righteousness divine, then will come the marriage of the Lamb; and as it is written, Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Thus, God prepares the city or bride for Christ and the guests.

3d Objection. As the bride is arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, afterwards explained to be the righteousness of saints, it is argued that the bride must certainly be the saints.

But I would still contend that the bride is a literal city, and the saints her children, who are to ornament the Bride. In Isa. xlix, 13, we read, "Sing O! heavens, and be joyful O! earth;" why? "for the Lord hath comforted his people and will have mercy on his afflicted." Thus far he speaks of the saints. Now of the Bride. "But Zion said, the Lord hath forsaken me, my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee: I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, THY WALLS are continually before me. Thy children shall make haste. Lift up thine eyes, all these [children] gather themselves together and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt clothe thee with them all as an ornament, and bind them on thee as a bride doth." Then according to this testimony, the New Jerusalem is to be adorned, or ornamented with the saints in fine linen, clean and bright.

Once more. I regard the parable in Matt. xxii; 1—14, as a strong objection to the theory that the church is the "Bride." It is conceded that God is the King, his Son, the Bridegroom—the man without a wedding garment, sinners; and the guests robed, the church. I ask, who then is the Bride? certainly not the guests. Who then? Let the angel tell us "that great city, the holy Jerusalem."

Finally, throughout the sacred oracles there is a plain distinction kept up between Zion and her daughter, between the New Jerusalem our mother, and the church of the first born, and between the glorious city, and her immortal inhabitants—selah, i. e. mark that. In addition to the above passages, see Matt. ix, 15. Can the children of the Bridegroom mourn as long as he is with them? but the days will come when he will be taken away from them and they shall fast, or mourn. But at his return, second advent, they will cease to mourn; for they will be comforted in Jerusalem, and the days of her mourning shall be ended: see Isa. lx. He adds, "Thy people shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land (not the church) forever; this the prophet describes as having a city located on it, with walls and gates, which is to be their residence.

And now, dear reader, strive for that inheritance, walk in all the ordinances and commands of Christ, that you may be found of him without spot and blameless; for such only will have a right to the tree of life and enter through the gates into the City, where sickness, sorrow, death, nor any evil will ever come.